Realization
by VacioArconte
Summary: After the events of OoT, a twist on the events that transpire after Ganondorf's defeat. Slightly Zelink, a bit of angst.


Disclaimer: I own nothing but the extension of the plot. All rights belong to Nintendo. Please support the official franchise.

Realization

"Thank you, Link...", she says, pausing, "Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm! Thus, peace will once again reign in this world... for a time." I shudder at the thought of a later generation dealing with the same strife we had. "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing... I was so young... I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm. I dragged you into it, too." So she blames herself for this, when I was the one who foolishly pulled that sword, the sword that both damned us and saved us. "Now it is time for me to make up for my mistakes... You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time... However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed... Link, give the Ocarina to me..."

No. She cannot possibly mean to... Upon arriving at the realization that she did, indeed, intend to send me back to my time, I possessively tightened my grip on the Ocarina. She smiles benevolently, as if she is a doctor who thinks her medicine will make me all better. She slowly approaches me, almost as one would approach a spooked animal. She holds out her hand, expectantly, anticipating my realization of her supposedly flawless logic. "No," I croak, my voice hoarse from disuse. She gazes at me quizzically, gently inquiring with her sapphire blue eyes. "You don't understand what my past entails, how this entire journey, my nonexistent childhood, is a blessing in disguise." She seems shocked at this revelation, no doubt wondering how fighting through hordes of monsters could ever be a blessing.

"Sending me back to my childhood would be cruel. Would you like to be the one person excluded from the group, just because you didn't have a damned fairy? Would you enjoy being remembered as a different person, not knowing half of your friends? To you, I may be a 10 year old in the body of a 17 year old, but sending me back would put a 17 year old in the body of a 10 year old," I finish, a hint of anger in my expression. My little outburst has brought her to the verge of tears. I immediately soften my features in response, laying a hand on her shoulder in an attempt at comfort.

Wiping away her tears, she questions, "How can I make it up to you, then, Link? How can I repay you for the injustices I have caused you?" I take a moment to ponder. I am a warrior. I help people. I am no diplomat, no speaker, no leader. I formulate my response based on these inherent facts. My voice slowly regaining confidence, I say, "Allow me to stay in this time and assist in restoring Hyrule. I can mop up the remaining monsters much more quickly than your soldiers and then focus on rebuilding the towns." She looks up at me, doubtful that letting me work for her, albeit indirectly, is a fitting repayment on her part.

While she thinks, I take a second to consider what a remarkable woman she is; learning the ways of the Sheikah, enduring this ceaseless turmoil for the past seven years, and still remaining so kind and serene. "If that is what you truly wish, hero, then I should not let my personal regrets cloud my judgment." And so we returned from that place in the sky, which for some reason made me visualize these strange birds flying around me.

Since that fateful day, I have worked at rebuilding the small towns around Hyrule and killing off any moblins that wander too close to a village. Now that Hyrule has been restored to its former glory, I find myself trotting through the fields with Epona quite often, thinking of what could come next. I have thought long and hard about settling down for a relaxing life in the countryside, but my heart thirsts for adventure, and I miss Navi dearly, as annoying as she may have been. So I have decided to search for her. There are rumors of a neighboring land named Termina where fairies have supposedly been spotted. Of course, before I go, I have to handle one last matter, a matter of utmost importance.

I gallop across the Castle Town drawbridge at the break of dawn, skillfully avoiding any early risers. I continue my ride to the gates of the castle, requesting an audience with the queen. Over the past few months, the guards have gotten used to my repeated presence, no longer requiring written permission for an audience. Every few weeks I check with the queen to see how she is handling her plethora of responsibilities, asking if she has any odd jobs for me, and filling her in on the progress of the reconstruction. She does remarkably well for someone with so many things to do. Sometimes, she looks at me oddly, some strange emotion present in her gaze, an unfamiliar emotion to me, and it seems, to her as well. We share a bond, our knowledge of the transpired events, wielders of the Triforce, countless things that pull us together. She is the closest thing I have to a friend, save Epona. She understands me on an oh-so-personal level, and I her.

Thinking of this bond, it is with a heavy heart that I walk into her throne room, where she sits, slumped, half asleep. Realizing my entrance a bit too late to give me a dignified welcome, she runs up and throws her arms around me. I blush a bit, surprised at her action. I gently shrug her off when the duration of our contact edges towards the improper. She invites me to sit, and we make small talk before she decides to cut to the chase. "So what is it that you have come to talk with me about, Link?" She says it so innocently that I am ashamed to crush her right now.

"I need to leave, Zelda," I state, melancholy seeping into my every cell. She looks at me strangely, before she realizes my seriousness. "Why?" she wails, pounding against my chest with her fist. "Navi," I whisper. She nods incoherently, backing away. "I leave for Termina at noon," I mutter, "I don't know how long I'll be gone." She breaks into another bout of sobbing before I move to wrap my arms around her. She looks up at me, a deep longing in her gaze. I gulp guiltily, realizing that my princess harbors a deep affection for me. Whether this is simply friendship or something more, I do not know. She embraces me tightly, kisses me on both cheeks, and gazes at me, so intently I am sure she can see straight into my soul. "Go, Link. I'll be here when you come back. Don't make me wait too long," she with as much resolve as she can muster. I bow deeply, kiss her gently on the forehead, and say, "I wouldn't dream of it." With those final words, I set off to begin a new adventure, a new chapter in my life. And while I am saddened to leave Zelda, I know this will sate my thirst for adventure. At least for now.

A/N: My first fanfic! Woo! I'd like to thank SkywardDiamond for inspiring me to actually write some fanfiction. After writing this short little oneshot, I have gained the utmost respect for authors with multichaptered stories with chapter word counts of 5000 or above. If you haven't already read her stories, check out SkywardDiamond. Please leave any constructive criticisms in the reviews.

P.S. Anyone catch the Skyward Sword reference? :-)


End file.
